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SameerBali - PeerSpot reviewer
Network Architect at Syriatel Mobile Telecom
Real User
Feb 6, 2022
Reliable and stable catalyst switch; can be easily installed
Pros and Cons
  • "Scalable, stable, and reliable product that's easy to install. Technical support is dependable and can be contacted in a variety of ways, e.g. through their ticketing system, hotline number, and community forum."
  • "I like Cisco Catalyst Switches because most of the time, we can do what we want with the product."
  • "Pricing for Cisco Catalyst Switches is on the higher end, compared to its competitors, and is something that could be improved."

What is our primary use case?

I've utilized Cisco Catalyst Switches on a DNA center. I've also used it for many solutions, e.g. in universities, telecom companies, and other commercial institutions.

I've implemented many solutions that contain Cisco Catalyst Switches, call switches, abbreviation switches, and access switches on Cisco design solutions. I worked on a network that contained more than 100 Cisco Catalyst Switches in some of the universities.

I use Cisco Catalyst Switches and I implement most of the technology with that content in IOS.

What is most valuable?

I like Cisco Catalyst Switches because most of the time, we can do what we want with the product. Cisco has good guidelines that enable us to implement anything, so we can have a multiple ability product on most of the network equipment worldwide.

Cisco has communities or forums that help us implement more complicated areas in terms of network, so in addition, Cisco is not just a network equipment company, because they provide us most of the solutions, development, protocols, and new technologies, more than any other company in the world.

I also like the availability of Cisco Catalyst Switches, including scalability and reliability. You can find all these in this product.

What needs improvement?

Pricing for Cisco Catalyst Switches is on the higher end, compared to its competitors, and is something that could be improved. Security could also be increased.

For how long have I used the solution?

I've been working with Cisco Catalyst Switches for 15 years, and still working with it and other Cisco products currently.

Buyer's Guide
Cisco Catalyst Switches
August 2026
Learn what your peers think about Cisco Catalyst Switches. Get advice and tips from experienced pros sharing their opinions. Updated: August 2026.
911,602 professionals have used our research since 2012.

What do I think about the stability of the solution?

I find this product stable.

What do I think about the scalability of the solution?

This product is scalable.

How are customer service and support?

We count on the technical support of Cisco in many ways, and we have different ways of contacting them. We can open a ticket, use the Cisco community forum online to provide us support, and give them a call to solve any problems that arise.

How was the initial setup?

I've installed a lot of Cisco Catalyst Switches and I never had any problems with the installation, including the installation of other Cisco products, e.g. routers, firewalls, etc.

What's my experience with pricing, setup cost, and licensing?

Some switches need a license, while some don't. Cisco Catalyst Switches has different types of licenses that could count as versions, e.g. version 12.4. 12.4 is a version we can't provide because we don't have a license for it, but Cisco Catalyst Switches from IOS version 15 and up, we need to purchase a license for all features if you want to run them on Cisco Catalyst Switches. Version 15 is better than 12.4, and version 15 has a better license, when compared to other Cisco Catalyst Switches licenses.

Cisco Catalyst Switches are not one of the cheapest switches in the market. There are a lot of products that are cheaper, e.g. HP, Huawei, Netgear, but they don't provide us with the availability, possibility, etc., we need, which Cisco can provide.

HP could provide us with cheaper switches, with a lot of security features and stability, but it's not absolute, compared to what Cisco Catalyst Switches can provide.

Juniper switches can also provide us with more security and stability without any problem, so it can be a Cisco competitor product we can use.

Which other solutions did I evaluate?

I was able to evaluate HP, Netgear, and Juniper switches.

What other advice do I have?

I've worked with all Cisco products, e.g. routers, ASA firewall, switches, etc. I started working with them 15 years ago.

More than 500 employees in our company use this product. We have more than 1,000 network equipment that utilize Cisco Catalyst Switches.

My rating for Cisco Catalyst Switches is a nine out of ten.

Which deployment model are you using for this solution?

Public Cloud
Disclosure: My company does not have a business relationship with this vendor other than being a customer.
PeerSpot user
Loris Signoracci - PeerSpot reviewer
Senior System Engineer at Itworks srl
Real User
Sep 7, 2021
Versatile, reliable, has many features, and the support is fast and knowledgeable
Pros and Cons
  • "I like the management of streaming both audio and video."
  • "Cisco products have been shown to be very reliable and stable."
  • "I think that the price should be cheaper and they should include at least one year of basic service for technical support for each product, and not just the 90 days from the time of purchase."

What is our primary use case?

We have not deployed on the cloud because the company's core business is on yachts. Yachts are not familiar with the cloud and online solutions.

We have been integrating Cisco Catalyst Switches in yachts that are 100 feet in length to 100 meters in length. With simple infrastructure such as two or three switches connected with copper, and with large infrastructures we use a three-layer level with the backbone of a multimode fiber.

What is most valuable?

The switches are related to simple switching infrastructures, without the implementation of routing protocols. The routing protocols are referring to routers and layer three switches. They are not required with this kind of infrastructure.

I like the management of streaming both audio and video. On a yacht, the network infrastructure is not related to data usage, it is mainly for audio, video management, and distribution. 

When compared with other brands, they are not as reliable as Cisco Catalyst Switches.

What needs improvement?

There is always something better. The price could be better.

The service contract for technical support should be included for at least the first year of purchasing the product.

For how long have I used the solution?

I have been working with Cisco Catalyst Switches for more than ten years.

What do I think about the stability of the solution?

Cisco Catalyst Switches are reliable. It is very stable and performant. There have only been a few failures. In general, there is a very low level of failure.

What do I think about the scalability of the solution?

If we refer to shipyards, then we have six or seven shipyards in Italy and outside of Italy. When referring to Yachts, I have installed these switches on more than 100 to 200 Yachts.

How are customer service and technical support?

Technical support is very fast and highly skilled.

The only issue with the support is that without an active service contract, they will not address any of your concerns. Even if you are a Cisco partner, they will not address your concerns without an active technical contract.

Which solution did I use previously and why did I switch?

For networking and switching, we have used most Cisco solutions.

For Unified Communications, we have used BE6000 and 4000. 

Switching solutions we the new brand 9000. 

We started with the low level 9200 to 9500. We use the Cisco Firewall ASA 2100 and we have Wi-Fi solutions such as the Wireless LAN controllers 2500,3500, and 9800.

At one time, we also integrated Nexus switches.

In the past, my company used to propose low-level Cisco products such as Linksys. They were not reliable and the return on investment was not as high as Catalyst. This strategy was a failure.

How was the initial setup?

The physical installation is not difficult. There are four factors for all devices that are almost the same. The main factor is the configuration.

If you speak with someone who has five to six years of experience in Cisco products, it is really fast. If you have someone with little experience then it takes longer. Cisco Catalyst Switches can be configured using the command-line interface and not the web interface. The web interface would be fine for people who do not have a lot of experience with the product.

Using the command-line interface is a faster way to configure for skilled people who have experience, and not for technicians who are not as experienced.

It requires a complete team from the beginning. This includes the system engineer, the installer technician, the standard technician, and two or three IT engineers to configure and maintain these switches. 

What's my experience with pricing, setup cost, and licensing?

The price for Cisco Catalyst Switches is not cheaper than other solutions.

Licensing fees are something that you pay at the time of purchase. During the year, I have not had any customers request to renew the license. I have only had customer requests to activate our systems contract when there has been an issue with the device. Cisco products have been shown to be very reliable and stable. It's something that rarely has to be activated.

I think that the price should be cheaper and they should include at least one year of basic service for technical support for each product, and not just the 90 days from the time of purchase.

Oftentimes, when my company purchases the Cisco products, they are not installed until three or four months after the date of purchase. The installation is done at least one year after the building and delivery of the Yacht which makes the warranty is not useful.

What other advice do I have?

I would recommend these switches to others. Over the years, I have been working with Cisco, and Aruba HP Enterprise devices. I can say that if you use Cisco, you will have good results and reliability. With comparisons, I would suggest not to use Linksys products if you don't have a stable environment, and you have an environment that is moving all over the world such as a Yacht.

I would rate Cisco Catalyst Switches a nine out of ten.

Which deployment model are you using for this solution?

On-premises
Disclosure: My company has a business relationship with this vendor other than being a customer. Integrator
PeerSpot user
Buyer's Guide
Cisco Catalyst Switches
August 2026
Learn what your peers think about Cisco Catalyst Switches. Get advice and tips from experienced pros sharing their opinions. Updated: August 2026.
911,602 professionals have used our research since 2012.
Namra Saif - PeerSpot reviewer
IT Sales Engineer at Comstar - Information Systems Associates Ltd.
Real User
Mar 15, 2024
Provides flexibility and is reliable from a security perspective
Pros and Cons
  • "The product is also flexible."
  • "The product's high price is an area of concern where improvements are required."

What is our primary use case?

Cisco offers good switches. In Pakistan, there are a lot of customers who are Cisco lovers, and they also use Cisco's firewall products.

What is most valuable?

The features of Cisco that I find to be the most valuable or effective are its network security and speed.

What needs improvement?

My company cannot import Cisco products in Pakistan due to some L/C issues. Cisco can consider the aforementioned details related to imports for improvement.

The product's high price is an area of concern where improvements are required.

For how long have I used the solution?

I have been using Cisco Catalyst Switches for more than three years. I sell the product to my company's clients in Pakistan and don't use it personally.

What do I think about the stability of the solution?

It is a stable solution.

What do I think about the scalability of the solution?

It is a scalable solution. The product is also flexible.

My company deals with around 50 customers who use the product.

How are customer service and support?

The quality of support services provided by the product is good. You can open a ticket with the support team and also use Cisco's RMA option, which is quite a speedy process.

The product's support team is good, and it is easy to open a ticket. The product's technical team responds to a user's queries in a few hours or minutes.

How was the initial setup?

The product's initial setup phase was easy.

There is a manual from Cisco that can be followed to deploy the product, and our company's clients mostly use it since it helps them take care of the deployment process by themselves. Our company's clients don't seek help from my organization for deployment. Our company's clients will only approach us if they get stuck somewhere with the deployment process.

For the deployment process, there is a portal maintained by Cisco where you can log in and take care of the configuration part. Cisco provides guidance with the steps involved in the deployment, and one can easily follow them. The user dashboard in Cisco's hotel can be helpful for those who are involved in deploying the product.

What's my experience with pricing, setup cost, and licensing?

The new products from Cisco in the market are expensive. My company cannot import Cisco products, so they are mostly unavailable.

My company's clients pay yearly for the licensing costs attached to the solution.

What other advice do I have?

The product was helpful in improving the network performance for our company's clients, considering that I have dealt with a few companies who are quite satisfied with Cisco's technical features because, on a monthly basis, they acquire five to six Cisco tools from my organization. Our company's clients can't afford the new equipment provided by Cisco and mostly prefer to purchase refurbished equipment. Our company's customers are satisfied with refurbished equipment.

The product is reliable from a security perspective since it offers a secure VPN.

The product's ease of management has improved our company's operational efficiency since Cisco supports configuration or troubleshooting issues.

I recommend the product to those who plan to use it.

Integrating the product with other network tools impacts our company's IT infrastructure since it is an easy process to integrate, deploy, and configure the tool.

The product's users experience many benefits, considering that it is a scalable and reliable tool. Cisco places a strong emphasis on security. Cisco offers a range of features to protect its users' networks. The product secures its users' networks from cyber threats. It is easy to deploy and configure, and its support is good. I sell a lot of Cisco refurbished or used equipment in Pakistan. People love to use Cisco in Pakistan. There are a lot of Cisco lovers in the market who won't switch from it to some other brand. Some of our customers have been using Cisco for many years. I have suggested other brands to my company's customers, but they are stuck with Cisco due to its great features.

I rate the overall product an eight and a half out of ten.

Disclosure: My company has a business relationship with this vendor other than being a customer. Reseller
PeerSpot user
RafaelTorres - PeerSpot reviewer
Founder at Torres & Torres Tech
Real User
Feb 24, 2024
Easy to configure and has good features like BGP, VPN, and spine-leaf architecture
Pros and Cons
  • "The most valuable features of the solution are BGP, VPN, and spine-leaf architecture."
  • "The solution’s licensing could be improved."

What is most valuable?

The most valuable features of the solution are BGP, VPN, and spine-leaf architecture. The solution has good scalability. The solution’s configuration is easy.

What needs improvement?

The solution’s licensing could be improved.

For how long have I used the solution?

I have been using Cisco Catalyst Switches for 13 years.

What do I think about the stability of the solution?

I rate the solution ten out of ten for stability.

What do I think about the scalability of the solution?

The solution has good scalability. Around 8,000 users use Cisco Catalyst Switches in our organization.

I rate the solution a nine out of ten for scalability.

Which solution did I use previously and why did I switch?

I previously used Juniper.

How was the initial setup?

The solution’s initial setup is easy.

What's my experience with pricing, setup cost, and licensing?

Cisco Catalyst Switches is a very expensive solution.

What other advice do I have?

I would recommend the solution to other users.

Overall, I rate the solution ten out of ten.

Disclosure: My company does not have a business relationship with this vendor other than being a customer.
PeerSpot user
Abubakar Bello - PeerSpot reviewer
Security Administrator at a insurance company with 1,001-5,000 employees
Real User
Top 10
Jan 24, 2024
A durable and user-friendly solution that is very stable and provides very good technical support
Pros and Cons
  • "The solution is durable."
  • "The product must improve its security."

What is our primary use case?

I use the product to connect computers to the local area network.

What is most valuable?

The solution is durable. We have a lot of power fluctuations, yet the product works well. It is user-friendly.

What needs improvement?

The product must improve its security. It should be more intelligent. The optimization features must be faster. It must follow in tandem with technology.

For how long have I used the solution?

I have been using the solution for around ten years.

What do I think about the stability of the solution?

The tool is very stable. I rate the stability a ten out of ten.

What do I think about the scalability of the solution?

I rate the tool’s scalability a seven out of ten. We plan to replace all our switches. We will choose Cisco.

How are customer service and support?

Cisco has a lot of layers of support. We won’t have a problem with support. The support is very good.

How was the initial setup?

I rate the ease of setup an eight out of ten. It is plug-and-play. The setup is straightforward.

What's my experience with pricing, setup cost, and licensing?

The product is quite expensive.

What other advice do I have?

The solution is good. Overall, I rate the solution an eight out of ten.

Which deployment model are you using for this solution?

On-premises
Disclosure: My company does not have a business relationship with this vendor other than being a customer.
PeerSpot user
Rabiul-Islam - PeerSpot reviewer
Senior Network Security Engineer at KNZ SOLUTIONS INC
Real User
Jan 18, 2024
A highly scalable and easy-to-deploy solution that can be deployed remotely
Pros and Cons
  • "The product is convenient to deploy."
  • "The stability must be improved."

What is our primary use case?

We are mainly deploying the tool for client requirements.

What is most valuable?

The product is convenient to deploy.

What needs improvement?

The stability must be improved.

For how long have I used the solution?

I have been using the solution for 20 years.

What do I think about the stability of the solution?

Sometimes, when we do upgrades, the tool goes down. We purchased a new one, but it didn’t go well.

What do I think about the scalability of the solution?

The tool is highly scalable. Our clients are mostly enterprises.

How was the initial setup?

The initial setup is easy. We deploy the tool mostly in the cloud. Someone in our team will be physically connected to the console and give us access to the network. Then, we deploy it remotely. The deployment can be done in half an hour. We connect the key ports, get the network management configurations, and deploy the product.

What other advice do I have?

We’re a service provider. If people find the price to be competitive, they choose Catalyst. Otherwise, they go with other vendors. Overall, I rate the solution an eight out of ten.

Disclosure: My company has a business relationship with this vendor other than being a customer. MSP
PeerSpot user
Itsikc BenTolila - PeerSpot reviewer
Founder & CEO at Malam-Team
Real User
Apr 9, 2022
Great features, good support, and easy to set up
Pros and Cons
  • "The solution offers great scalability."
  • "The performance is great."
  • "The product could always be more secure."

What is our primary use case?

The solution is primarily used for the access layer, distribution layer, core layer - the three layers as well as a signal fabric that is managed through the DNA center.

What is most valuable?

The performance is great.

The solution offers great scalability. 

We have found the pricing to be okay. It's not overly expensive. 

It has all of the features we need.

I've been pleased with the level of security.

The setup process is simple.

We've been happy with technical support.

What needs improvement?

We would like to see more automation integrated into the solution in future releases. 

The product could always be more secure.

For how long have I used the solution?

I've used the solution for many years. It's been a while. 

What do I think about the stability of the solution?

The stability of the product is pretty good. There are no bugs or glitches. The performance is reliable. 

What do I think about the scalability of the solution?

The solution scales well. If a company needs to expand it, it can.

We have customers on the solution that have 5- to 100 users and others that have thousands.

How are customer service and support?

We've been very satisfied with technical support. Overall, it has been good. 

How was the initial setup?

The initial setup is not overly complex or difficult. It is simple and straightforward. 

The number of people you need to maintain the product depends on how large it gets. Naturally, the bigger it is the more people you need. The size of the network will determine the maintenance requirements. 

What's my experience with pricing, setup cost, and licensing?

The price of the solution is good. It's reasonably priced. The licensing fee depends on the setup.

What other advice do I have?

I'm an integrator for Catalyst.

I would rate the solution an eight out of ten. I'd recommend it as a product to others. 

Disclosure: My company has a business relationship with this vendor other than being a customer. Integrator
PeerSpot user
Sales project manager at Saraha
Real User
Mar 31, 2022
Works well, easy to use, and stable
Pros and Cons
  • "These switches are stable. They work well and are easy to use."
  • "Cisco switches are expensive."

What is our primary use case?

We work on level 2 and level 3 switches to connect many branches.

What is most valuable?

These switches are stable. They work well and are easy to use.

What needs improvement?

Cisco switches are expensive.

For how long have I used the solution?

I have been selling this solution for about 10 years.

What do I think about the stability of the solution?

They are stable.

How are customer service and support?

I have not contacted their support. Another engineer has contacted them. We have our own two people for support.

Which solution did I use previously and why did I switch?

We also deal with the HP ProCurve switch, but it is not as good in Libya.

How was the initial setup?

It is not complex now because we have CCNA and CCNP engineers. We have two engineers who are certified with Cisco. Overall, we have three people who work with this solution.

What about the implementation team?

We implemented and finished a big project for a company. The company is still working with the same components that we installed. For deployment, I have two people with me, but in our company, we have a big team of 20 people.

What's my experience with pricing, setup cost, and licensing?

They are expensive.

What other advice do I have?

I would recommend these switches to others. Cisco is a good company.

I would rate Cisco Catalyst Switches a nine out of ten. 

Disclosure: My company does not have a business relationship with this vendor other than being a customer.
PeerSpot user
reviewer1392267 - PeerSpot reviewer
Fraud Risk Analyst at a university with 1,001-5,000 employees
Real User
Mar 20, 2022
Easy to use, reliable, and reasonably priced
Pros and Cons
  • "Cisco Switches are more stable in terms of hardware and firmware, rather than Juniper Switches."
  • "Cisco Catalyst Switches is the best product that we use."
  • "In terms of performance, Juniper switches have a more user-friendly interface and more features than Cisco switches."
  • "Cisco Catalyst Switches could be more secure."

What is our primary use case?

Cisco Catalyst Switches is our core switch.

What is most valuable?

Cisco Catalyst Switches are easy to use.

They are user-friendly.

It's a common product to use.

Cisco Catalyst Switches is the best product that we use.

We have a lot of security modules, but we don't have any problems with switches.

Cisco Switches are more stable in terms of hardware and firmware, rather than Juniper Switches.

We think it's popular. We prefer to use Cisco CLI commands rather than Juniper CLI commands.

What needs improvement?

Cisco Catalyst Switches could be more secure.

In terms of performance, Juniper switches have a more user-friendly interface and more features than Cisco switches.

For how long have I used the solution?

The core Cisco Catalyst Switch is 4507.

What do I think about the stability of the solution?

Cisco Catalyst Switches are stable.

What do I think about the scalability of the solution?

Cisco Catalyst Switches are scalable, and we use them for the entire team.

We don't need an upgrade right now because we're transitioning to another product that's already in place and ready in our infrastructure.

We have 500 users in our company.

We don't have any plans to increase our usage.

How are customer service and support?

We don't have any issues with the technical support.

I believe we contacted support for the core switch once, and they helped us with the firmware, which we upgraded. It was, however, about five years ago.

Years ago, we didn't use any kind of support. But I believe it is working, and they are working threefold with no problems.

Which solution did I use previously and why did I switch?

We use several products such as Cisco Switches, Access Points, Linksys, and Fortinet FortiGate.

We use an older version of Cisco Access Points, 4400, I believe.

Before Catalyst, we used Extreme Switches. We worked with Extreme Switches for five years.

How was the initial setup?

The initial setup is straightforward. We have previous experience with Cisco switches. We can easily assist with any upgrades or support. It is very simple for us.

What's my experience with pricing, setup cost, and licensing?

The price is fine. 

It is reasonably priced because we have already conducted a tender, allowing Cisco and other vendors to compete for the best price.

We did not renew the support.

It was a good price because, as I previously stated, we held a tender for purchasing and received the best offer.

What other advice do I have?

I would recommend this solution to my colleagues.

I would rate Cisco Catalyst Switches a nine out of ten.

Which deployment model are you using for this solution?

On-premises
Disclosure: My company does not have a business relationship with this vendor other than being a customer.
PeerSpot user
IT Consultant & Administrator at ETCOM
Real User
Mar 13, 2022
High performance, helpful support, and reliable
Pros and Cons
  • "The most valuable features of Cisco Catalyst Switches are that they are very common. If you talk to someone most likely they will have a Cisco Catalyst Switch, they will not mention other names, such as Juniper, ProCurve, Dell, or anything else. The most common product in networking in my country is Cisco. Everywhere you go they talk about Cisco."
  • "The most valuable features of Cisco Catalyst Switches are that they are very common."
  • "The management of Cisco Catalyst Switches could be improved."
  • "You have to have someone with extensive knowledge to do the implementation of the Cisco Catalyst Switches."

What is our primary use case?

I am using Cisco Catalyst Switches for my network.

What is most valuable?

The most valuable features of Cisco Catalyst Switches are that they are very common. If you talk to someone most likely they will have a Cisco Catalyst Switch, they will not mention other names, such as Juniper, ProCurve, Dell, or anything else. The most common product in networking in my country is Cisco. Everywhere you go they talk about Cisco.

The overall performance of Cisco Catalyst Switches is very good.

What needs improvement?

The management of Cisco Catalyst Switches could be improved. 

For how long have I used the solution?

I have been using Cisco Catalyst Switches for approximately seven years.

What do I think about the stability of the solution?

Cisco Catalyst Switches is a stable solution.

What do I think about the scalability of the solution?

This solution is scalable.

How are customer service and support?

Cisco has superior technical support, but it has to be paid for.

Which solution did I use previously and why did I switch?

I have used other solutions in the past similar to Cisco Catalyst Switches, such as Dell Switches.

Cisco Catalyst uses the standard CLI and you get used to it if you take some courses, such as CCNA, CCNP, and CCIE. They are all the same, but for Dell, they have their own commands. They differ a bit from Cisco.

How was the initial setup?

You have to have someone with extensive knowledge to do the implementation of the Cisco Catalyst Switches. You have to read a lot of manuals and the manuals, are segregated. It's not only one small manual that you need to read and you have all the information you need. 

What about the implementation team?

You need someone with experience to implement this solution.

What's my experience with pricing, setup cost, and licensing?

If you compare Cisco to other products, Cisco is more expensive. If you choose a 7000 series switch it will be a very pricy system. The support from Cisco is an additional service.

What other advice do I have?

Cisco Catalyst Switches uses jargon that is very much different from other vendors. If use a ProCurve solution or others, it seems every vendor has its own dialect of the command. There is no common ground, there are some similarities between each other, but in real management, they differ from each other.

Those wanting to implement Cisco Catalyst Switches should read a lot about them.

I rate Cisco Catalyst Switches a ten out of ten.

Which deployment model are you using for this solution?

On-premises
Disclosure: My company has a business relationship with this vendor other than being a customer. Integrator
PeerSpot user
Buyer's Guide
Download our free Cisco Catalyst Switches Report and get advice and tips from experienced pros sharing their opinions.
Updated: August 2026
Buyer's Guide
Download our free Cisco Catalyst Switches Report and get advice and tips from experienced pros sharing their opinions.